Aetherios System [Slow Build OP MC, Isekai LitRPG/Cultivation] Chapter 117: Book 2: Chapter 31: Bugged

Read chapter 117 of Aetherios System [Slow Build OP MC, Isekai LitRPG/Cultivation] by TTReynolds on NovelPedia.

Book 2: Chapter 31: Bugged Book 2: Chapter 31: Bugged The bedroom was grave silent. The sort of quiet that didn’t feel peaceful, just the absence of noise. Though what mattered was that Eric was breathing. That was the first thing Alex checked. His friend lay still, his form carefully tucked into the blankets. They had set two enchanted cooling pads pressed beneath his collar to help with the rising fever. He looked like someone who’d gone ten rounds with the universe’s spiciest hot sauce, and there was no doubt in who had won.. Allie sat beside the bed, unmoving. She looks down at him, just watching, and waiting for… well anything really. Her fingers tapped against her knee in an off-tempo rhythm, Alex guessed that she probably didn’t notice she was even doing it. “Let me know if anything changes,” Alex murmured. Allie didn’t look up. “It already has.” He left the room before she could say more. The rest of the squad had gathered around the common table, its surface still marked from their earlier war-board setup, now half-cleared of glyphs and illusions. There were plates of untouched food that rested, now cold, along the sideboard of the table. Someone had lit the wall sconces and set them too high, casting long shadows across the chairs and throughout the room. Garret was the first to speak. “Well. We made it out of the garden without starting a war.” Lance snorted. “Barely.” Kate was standing near the far window, arms crossed. “We got the Vault to agree to a duel, outplayed Auralde, shook the church’s cage and we’re still alive. That’s something.” “ That’s blood in the water,” Devon corrected, seated with his head in his hands. He didn’t look up. “The Metalworkers guild is now bolstered to vote against Auralde, yeah, but Sanvek will still be against us. Not to mention, Vess won’t let this go. I humiliated her.” “Good,” said Zach quietly. Alex sank into a chair beside the board, rubbing at the bruises that still ached from the poison’s aftermath. He hadn’t even changed out of the fancy garden summit clothes. None of them had. “Church is split,” Allie said from the doorway, voice heavy. “We managed to ensure Theralyn will argue for us. But Deros... he’s watching. And the older clergy are listening to him more than they’re pretending not to.” “And House Thorneth?” Lance asked. “They’re spooked. They definitely are the culprits behind they leyforge, or they know about it at the very least.” Garret leaned forward. “The good kind of spooked or the kind that makes people disappear in alleys?” “The kind that means we poked something sharp,” Alex said. “And they bled just enough to remind themselves they’re not gods.” No one spoke for a moment, then Henry turned from where he tended to his plant. “Master Halraen offered a formal trial.” Devon blinked. “Wait, a trial ?” “Dueling rite,” Lance clarified. “Public fight between two chosen warriors, structured, witnessed. He wants to see what we’re made of, and the other Sect wants to see how serious we are.” “They’ll be watching our choices,” Henry added, voice even. “Not just who we send into the ring, but why. We already cleared Kate to be our fighter.” Alex nodded slowly. “That’s what all of this has been about.” Kate’s gaze swept the table. “We don’t get to act surprised anymore. Everyone’s watching now. I’ll win the fight, so Henry and Lance can secure Halraen’s vote, and it’ll be a public display so Lady Caerwyn is no longer unsure of our capabilities, securing her vote as well” “And we have half the church,” Allie added, rejoining them. “After the garden fiasco, the Mother has decided to place her trust in us.” Zach was the last to speak, voice low. “They planted a garden full of knives. And now they’re waiting to see who bleeds first.” Alex looked down at the table. The glyphs were gone, the enchantments were dim, but in his mind, he still saw the pieces. Votes. Allies. Threats. The days ahead would be hard. Two days until the vote, that was it. But they were still here. Still